The interproximal areas between teeth are frequently problem areas. Food particles and plaque tend to accumulate in those areas, and gum disease or other infections may result. Various types of toothbrushes, picks, and elongated strings or threads, such as dental floss and dental tape, have been designed and used to combat this problem. Dental floss and dental tape have been found most useful as home remedies, but each has disadvantages. Dental floss usually consists of a single end, or a bundle of two or more ends of material interlaced together to form a combined denier in the 400-840 range. As used herein, the term "end" means one or more textile filaments having a high ratio of length to diameter. Dental floss fits easily between closely spaced teeth and into the interproximal areas, but the compactness of the floss is disadvantageous to cleaning, particularly in more widely spaced interproximal areas. Portions of the wider interproximal areas are not always wiped clean by the compact dental floss because, among other reasons, the compact construction reduces the overall surface area of the floss available to wipe and clean tooth surfaces.
Dental tape, on the other hand, usually is heavier than floss and has a denier in excess of 1240. Dental tape is usually constructed from a flat plastic film or ribbon formed in a manner to maintain its width at all times and to prevent the separation of its ends. For this reason, tape may be better for cleaning the interproximal area, but its breadth makes tape difficult to pass between closely spaced teeth. A user, therefore, may not even be able to wedge dental tape between closely spaced teeth into the interproximal areas.
Thus, there is a need for a dental instrument that can easily pass between closely spaced teeth and still effectively clean the interproximal area. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a novel means for and method of constructing a dental instrument capable of easily gliding between closely spaced teeth and more effectively cleaning the interproximal area.